NEUTRON EFFECTS ON ANIMALS 



89 



observed in the irradiated animals were a reduction in total white blood 

 cell count and a decrease in the per cent of lymphocytes. 



Radiation. Two rabbits, A and C, were irradiated on the 13th day with 

 135 n of neutrons in two hours by the cyclotron of the Biochemical Research 

 Foundation under the supervision of the Physics Department. The de- 

 tails of this cyclotron, of the methods and conditions of irradiation, and 

 of the characteristics of the neutron beam, have been described by Enns 

 et al. (4). Three rabbits, B, D, and E, served as non-irradiated controls. 



LYMPHO LEUCO- WT 

 CYTES CYTES 



90 



80 

 70 

 60 



10 



90 



eo 



70 

 60 



20 



10 





120 Nt ^o^ 



10 20 



DAYS 



C 



10 20 



DAYS 

 D 



Fig. 1. Changes in body weight (D), total leukocyte count (O), and per cent 

 lymphocytes (A) for irradiated rabbits, A and C, and non-irradiated rabbits, B 

 and D. 



Blood Studies. Plasma and serum of the rabbits were utilized to obtain 

 indirect evidence of the condition of the animals and as a means of deter- 

 mining changes in the blood proteins on irradiation and on repeated bleed- 

 ings. Both plasma and serum were examined by the electrophoretic 

 technique of Tiselius (5), and the plasma was analyzed in addition for total 

 and non-protein nitrogen by the micromethod of Kjeldahl. Blood (12 ml.) 

 was drawn by cardiac puncture, after 24 hours' starvation; 7 ml. were 

 converted to plasma, using 0.2 mg. of lithium oxalate per ml. as anti- 

 coagulant, and the remainder was converted to serum. For electrophoresis 



